For Sale WARNING - Suspicious PM messages. Updated December 21st 2024

[Noel]

If anybody has received a PM similar to this, especially in the wanted board:

"You must have missed the post of louis09 about 3/8" bowl gouge* for sale some days ago... I asked him about it and he said it's still available with him."

*or various other tools


Please report it ASAP

Thanks.

Update:
June 10th 2024
Much the same as above-

"I purchased some parts from johnny2shoes some days ago and a holdfast forged is among the items, he showed me he wanted to part out with, maybe you should text him to know if its still available...Here's his email....."

Notice the grammar.....

Please report it ASAP.

Thanks

 

[Valhalla]

If anybody has received a PM similar to this, especially in the wanted board:

"You must have missed the post of louis09 about 3/8" bowl gouge* for sale some days ago... I asked him about it and he said it's still available with him."

*or various other tools


Please report it ASAP

Thanks.

More to the point - how is the message being injected into the system if it's not by a member. Is there some sort of security issue occurring?

 

[Sideways]

It's a pertinent question.
There are new members signing up all the time. If the forum software thinks they are suspicious, they get referred to the moderators to check and approve. If they look legitimate when we check then everyone gets the benefit of the doubt to start with.
Offending accounts are blacklisted as soon as we become aware of them. The account and any content are summarily deleted to protect the community.
By reporting messages such as the example Noel saved and posted above, you help us weed out the bad apples promptly and protect other members from them.
Thanks in advance !

 

[sneggysteve]

I was the person who reported this originally - I assume it was some sort of "scam" perhaps?

 

[Ttrees]

adjective: pertinent

1. relevant or applicable to a particular matter.
   
   Ayethankyou !
   

 

[Ttrees]

It's a pertinent question.

adjective: pertinent

1. relevant or applicable to a particular matter.
   
   Ayethankyou !
   

 

[pgrbff]

I was the person who reported this originally - I assume it was some sort of "scam" perhaps?

I reported it too.

 

[Noel]

I was the person who reported this originally - I assume it was some sort of "scam" perhaps?

Indeed. Happening a lot in various forums across the net, usually in the for wanted boards.
Say Sneggy or pgrbff posts a wanted ad for a plane. A few days later a PM arrives from a signed up member with the message I posted in the first thread- fellow member johnny2shoes apparently has just the plane you want and he posted about it in the FS board but you must’ve not seen it, here’s his email address, why not contact him directly. Of course no such member as johnny2shoes but you may not have checked as you were so excited about your new plane.
You email Mr Shoes, get a bogus/stock image of your lovely new tool, see that your new best buddy only wants 95 quid including postage and you send the money off.
No plane, no happy ending.

 

[Noel]

Please note opening post has been updated.
If it walks like a duck........

If anybody has received a PM similar to this, especially in the wanted board:

"You must have missed the post of louis09 about 3/8" bowl gouge* for sale some days ago... I asked him about it and he said it's still available with him."

*or various other tools


Please report it ASAP

Thanks.

Update:
June 10th 2024
Much the same as above-

"I purchased some parts from johnny2shoes some days ago and a holdfast forged is among the items, he showed me he wanted to part out with, maybe you should text him to know if its still available...Here's his email....."

Notice the grammar.....

Please report it ASAP.

Thanks

 

[Crazy Dave]

Awww I wanted to buy that bowl gauge.

 

[Trextr7monkey]

If anybody has received a PM similar to this, especially in the wanted board:

"You must have missed the post of louis09 about 3/8" bowl gouge* for sale some days ago... I asked him about it and he said it's still available with him."

*or various other tools


Please report it ASAP

Thanks.

Update:
June 10th 2024
Much the same as above-

"I purchased some parts from johnny2shoes some days ago and a holdfast forged is among the items, he showed me he wanted to part out with, maybe you should text him to know if its still available...Here's his email....."

Notice the grammar.....

Please report it ASAP.

Thanks

I had exactly the same thing in response to a wanted ad for lathe parts- an unsolicited recommendation to a member in a private message that disappeared
The member claimed to have every part I need but could not supply images as they were all packed up ready to send! He also appears to have several bank accounts.
I was very suspicious so pulled out of further communications

 

[Noel]

I had exactly the same thing in response to a wanted ad for lathe parts- an unsolicited recommendation to a member in a private message that disappeared
The member claimed to have every part I need but could not supply images as they were all packed up ready to send! He also appears to have several bank accounts.
I was very suspicious so pulled out of further communications

Good to know, thanks.

 

[Roland]

It a common internet scam “My friend <insert name> has exactly what you want. You can email him at [email protected]”

 

[Spectric]

Something to bear in mind is a members number of post and feedback scores, you get to know regulars and they become more familiar so gaining trust. If someone has only a few post and little feedback then beware and be more cautious but anything suspicous you receive as a private message please raise that with the moderators and between us we can reduce the risk of scams.

 

[Roland]

Be careful though. I’ve seen long standing accounts taken over, and then used for this type of scam.

 

[Noel]

This is happening again so please report if you get a private message similar to these two which were received recently:

Hi, have you try asking (forum member) about the Silas Kopf DVD he has to part out with? If not i will advise you to ask him because the last time i spoke with him, it's still available and he wants to let it go for a very affordable offer. You can email him for a fast response. (email address).....Have a nice day.

And

Hi, have you try asking (forum member) about the Startrite 14 Bandsaw with microadjuster he has to part out with? If not i will advise you to ask him because the last time i spoke with him, it's still available and he wants to let it go for a very affordable offer. You can email him for a fast response. (email address)......Have a nice day

Thanks to the two members that reported this.

 

[kgill]

Oh WOW I got one like that just this morning!
What would you like me to do?
Thankfully I didn't respond. It was very clever because it referenced a post I put up in the wanted section

 

[kgill]

Oh WOW I got one like that just this morning!
What would you like me to do?
Thankfully I didn't respond. It was very clever because it referenced a post I put up in the wanted section

I have hit the report button

 

[Amplidyne]

If there are images, and any suspicion at all, it's worth doing a reverse image search with Google.
Surprising what that pulls up as being "my image of"
This goes for trading adverts or just avatar images.

 

[Noel]

Thanks all. That makes 3 approaches in last 24 hrs or so.
No images, just the PM offering you a steal of a deal………….